Sunday, December 5, 2010

Most Americans Take Doctor's Advice Without Second Opinion

Despite the advent of health websites and other widely available sources providing medical research and information, 70% of Americans feel confident in the accuracy of their doctor's advice, and don't feel the need to check for a second opinion or do additional research. Americans' confidence in their doctor is up slightly from eight years ago.

Older Americans are the most likely to be confident in their doctor's advice, with 85% of those 65 and older expressing confidence. This compares with 67% among those 50 to 64 and 65% among those under 50.

While one might expect that interest in a second opinion and doing additional research would be higher among Americans with college degrees or postgraduate education, that is not the case. There is little difference in confidence in one's doctor across the educational spectrum.